Fording River Pass Backpack Off-Trail Hike on 31-Jul-2003
Our chosen holiday destination was the pristine Fording River Pass area of the High Rock Range in Don Getty Wildland Provincial Park, and the Aldridge Creek cirques on the B.C. side of the divide. Our search for unspoiled wilderness was rewarded. We only saw 5 other people over the 5 days, but two elk, a grouse and some large trout. There were very few bugs, but some equipment was chewed up in squirrel attacks.
This moment crystallizes the essence of our 5 day adventure. Sue, Nancy and Anita stroll to the tarn at the head of Aldridge Creek’s east cirque, with the magnificent pyramid of Mount Bolton rising behind. The Armstrong/Bolton col, our route into B.C., can be seen dropping below the peak. We climbed Bolton by the ridge seen rising above the hikers.
James Lake lies at 6,000 feet at the boundary of the park and on the Great Divide Trail. Although shallow, this small lake sported some large trout. The view ahead is the high country of the upper drainage of Baril Creek.
Thursday was the hottest day of the summer so far, punctuated by a sudden thunderstorm, which came seemingly out of nowhere and beaned our noggins with marble size hail, holding us up for about an hour. After the hail storm Mount Baril was suddenly white for a while.
The pointy pyramid, which is the southwest shoulder of Mount Armstrong, stands directly above the Armstrong/Bolton col, here bathed in the golden rays of the setting sun with dark clouds above. We hiked to the col, realized there was no water on the B.C. side, and retreated to a more practical campsite at a waterfall at the head of the Baril valley, elevation 6,900 feet.
Mount Bolton, (8,829 feet elevation) the poster mountain of our trip, was our destination on Friday. Seen here from the shoulder of Mount Armstrong, this pyramid situated right on the Continental Divide gives fabulous views in all directions. Our route was the right skyline.
The ridge is reasonably easy OT5 with large talus. Here our view from the summit ridge is east to the skyline of Mount Burke and the Livingston Range.
We “discovered” the Cornwall Glacier, not on any topo map, at the head of Cornwell Cirque, here seen from Mount Bolton. Though small and rapidly receding, the glacier still clings to the northern slope of Mount Cornwell.
Our Saturday destination was the pointy shoulder of Mount Armstrong, here seen from Mount Bolton. Our route was the grassy ridge to the right, which leads to the steep slope of the grey pyramid. This OT5 route was quite steep with big but unstable talus. From our subsidiary summit (same elevation as Bolton), the scramble route around the ridge to the true peak (9,200 feet) can be seen.
Here the gentle, grassy ridge abruptly rises to the steep pyramid. The views were impressive, especially as they included the picturesque Mount Bolton.
The rock was very steep and quite unstable. Large boulders were prone to slide or roll unexpectedly, requiring careful footwork, but the view was worth the effort. Note that the hail has melted off Mt. Baril.
Nancy, Arnold, Doug and Sue enjoy the view from the summit. Spread out before them is Fording River Pass and the Cornwell cirque and glacier. Anita and Jim joined us Saturday afternoon. Through a note and survey tape directions left on the trail and FRS radio contact we were able, from the slopes of Mount Armstrong, to direct them into our camp.
Most wildflowers were past their prime but the fireweed were exquisite. Here they convey the essence of the B.C. Rocky Mountain wilderness of Aldridge Creek.
We spent Sunday in B.C., like many Albertans, but we had this wild terrain all to ourselves. Here the east cirque of Aldridge Creek lies directly ahead, with the north cirque branching to the left. The col is directly below, as viewed from Mount Bolton. The skyline is the Continental Divide, with Mount Armstrong on the right and Mount McLaren on the left. Luckily we walked to the East Kootenay—the regular mob of Albertans was cut off by closure of the Radium highway, and forced to breathe smoke in the Crowsnest Pass. From the col and peaks we could see forest fire smoke pumping into the sky to the northwest.
This little tarn at the head of the eastern cirque was our lunch spot. Arnold poses at the shore.
The tarn at the head of the north cirque is deeper, bluer and more impressive than the eastern tarn, but is does not exist on any topo map. It is such a shame that gems like this are usually unnamed in the Canadian Rockies. Mount Shankland is on the left.
Basking in the warm sun on the grassy slope. It was a challenge to keep the group on the move when it was sheer heaven to tarry at such a beauty spot.
Then a beach party erupted, only we were the only Albertans playing at this B.C. lake.
At a secret location sometime during the weekend we found the most amazing fossil bed. We spent quite a bit of time marvelling at these large and complete fossils of horn coral and other prehistoric life forms.